Distilling apparatus.



A. Gl WATERHUUSE. DISTILLING APPARATUS, APPLICATION FILED 001131.15110.

Patented Get. l iQLi www 25 pointus embodying my incenion; Fig. 2 1s TO ALAS STI-'LL MEG. CU., 0F NEW' an L i v s iif..

@riginal application filed Ivi-eich i3, Vi909, Serial No. 432,334. li-

' 191D. Seria No. 588,851'.

Epeciceion of Letters Patent.

.iaiene @ein application sie@ @crabes ai.

VBe it known that LAoorso G. YATER- HOUSE. e. citizen oi' 'the United States. and resident oi' New York oit-y, borough of Richmond, in the county of' Ridiniond angl State of New York, have invened Certain new and useful improvements in Dstiiing ein params, of which the following specification.'

This application is n. {lijviision of my zip-- lication for patenten nietho. of disilling, filed March i3, 190i). Serial Ko, nonv 'Patent- JS/LTO. Maj; 9, i911, and relates to meansset vforth iiil the sainev for distilling 'l5 and ree'ilication ofv .ointile products, such alcohol. utone operation and in an automatic and continuous manner.

My invention compri. improvement and combinations of perte that 4will .be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the Claims'.

Rei-'eremo is to he hed to the zcconipanying drawings forming parte hereof, wherein, Figure l is a seci'onal elevation of: an en.

a horizont-al seoion oi the apparatus suhl,stzmally on the line Q. Q in Fig. l. :incl Fg is centi-al section ofFig. Fig. i shows diagrammatic-elly angl partly in seetion an apparaus comprising@ supply pipe A, a heat exchange B, n. heateror evavqiore.4 tor C, s boiler D. a condenser E, @ind analyzv ing columns F and G.

The heat exchange B7 which muy heefany suitable orni.- isshown a closed *fessel having two separate compartments formed' by partitions adapted for transfer: ring heilt by conduction from one compartnieni to the'other, into one oii'hieh coni- 40 pertinents the supply of fresh iiquicl, sueh as fermented wol-is. enters at lower extreme through pipe and then through' a stuffing box and nipple B. into e lower chamber B2. whence 'it asc-,ends through number of per- '45 allel {.uhes B3, ino an iip'pe'r Chamber B",

whence it'ooiitinues thi'ogh. :i Valve which normally remains closed miti!v ogened subject o Certain eoncliions toioe hereafter described.

' The conditions under which heifalve nove-lfdetails'I o.-

bottoin or floor C3 of annular chamber C.

"inhe, and theninto and liquid or Worte to fio through ie D fhe ont r iile of tubes seend nntii ii; sheii :1t-iis' lo the isch-arge 15e 'iowing hot and exhausted liquid irl e siellrof, henexcl3 scencls Within th and, outside *mines B", ransiers its haai., by eondueion., to ihe colei-fresh iiqi 'rl whi the same i'ginie ascending mo J3.

that by' the tin; ne hoi. liqui deseen, o otom'o the h from the. top il iti'fiil i-.irged iii a reise Cold state, ivl" reltirely coiel ini ing liquid 'ein ers the hoon become hot. or heated ended to theop ther-eo ne heatransfeii'ed to zoe o he ietui'neci to the e1 l over sind over again'. 'I i ter being silowe..

heat exchai the time it l thereby Causininiowing iiqi pai'etus engi u.. ,thus he red 'fre -to he Viiv aisee-nds hrough A f B2 into' e. ehemhe C shownlin zuinulm;

form, which coi'rwi'i l This ea'porai'oi is hewn partiyin seoioii "/v` in Fig; wherein one of the outer anges C2 is provided -with e ce' '.trai ioor C3. heving :in ouer nihi'il shell oi- Weli C?. and un innen consentido Wall C5, which Wal-is are connected :i radial partition C?. The

ses part. ofevaporetor C. 35.2

pifovideil'witli a series of heriing tubes Cf.'

, CT, eritencling into boiler oijreeepfcecle hijougl'i which tubes liquid can flow sucoes- S3@ sieiy, as by Hoi-Ying ino and *heh one. of one.

partV of thechamber C', lintol lne well-C1", and also allovvfs the same liquid, or more liquid .Whichmay accumulate in the well as 'the result of condensation, to tloiv backl 5 from lthe Well into chamber C, vvhence it Will follow the course of the liquid on its wa around ,chamber C', as described, until it isfdischarged through the open part of pipe CE. The lower ends of'tubes C7 are closed, their uiper open ends communicating With'chamber C. Inside of each heat? ing tube C'is a circulating pipe Cipvhioh is open at both ends, its purpose being to assist 'the circulation of liquid through tubes C7 by offering a pass-.ige for the cooler liquid to descend Within pipe C13 from chamber C, and take the place of other liquid as it tends to rise in the outer tube C7 after being brought to a higher temperature by the heat transmitted to it Within boiler D through the tube C?. Other means may be employed for causing such circulation of liquid, such as by forming a continuous passage by a series of pipes connected by return bends.

The evaporator C, being connected to the boiler, as by 'flange C2, provides a closed boiler, so that Whateversteani or vapor is generated in the boiler, in order to escape, 3o imust passout through the side' pipe E4, and then up into the condensing columnv E, as hereinafter described. The evaporator C is also coveredand made a Closed vessel by means of the plate C14, which is bolted .to flange C15, so that all the vapor generated from the liquid iowing' through the. evaporator C is compelled to pass up through opening C1, in theplate C, and then into the analyzer column F, that communicates with opening C, the furtherI action of which vapor will be explained. The liquid discharged into the boiler D from or through the vaporizer or evaporator' C i would soon ll or overflow the former, and to prevent this and'maintain a. predetermined liquid level in the boiler a oat D is provided, which Willbe supported on the surface of the liquid and rise and fall with it, as the surface of the liquid changes from any predetermined level,'such as represented .by the dotted line W. To this end Hoat D is shown connected by rod D2,to a pivotcd lever D3, which opens or closes discharge valve D4, controlling the passage through pipe D5, serving to keep the'liquid at the level required.

Heat may be applied to boiler D in any Way known to the art, but which in the .present case is represented by 'the gas burner H. This heat applies to the vliquid which has been discharged into boiler D, and such heat isconductcd to the fresh liquid While it is passing through evaporator C, and circulating in the tubes C7.

One of the leading objects of this inven tion is to limit the temperature to which the liquid in boiler D can be raised, so that such temperature will not exceed' that Which is inst sufficient for driving substantially all of the alcoholic or desired lvapor from the verts or other liquid without generating any more steam or aqueous or other vapor from it than is possible. To effect this a thermal regulator is used and adjusted for operating the admission valve B5, so thatat approximately the temperature'desired fresh )liquid will be allowed to flow through valve B5, Apipe B, and evaporator '0, into boi er D, as fast as, but no faster than, the applied heat can maintain the temperature which effects this fioW. To accomplish this' a. thermostat or heat actuated regulator'is shown, submerged in or placed in thermal 'communication with the liquid in the boiler, thc temperature of which is to be limited.

vThe regulator shown comprises a. tube or feeler D8, closed at its free end and in open communication with. a recess D,'closed by a flexible diaphragm' o-r movable member D7 adapted to be actuated by a ressure created Iby the heat of the liquid in t e boiler acting:

upon som'e volatile fluid confined Withinfeeler D8, and recess D", whereby adetermined temperature of the liquid in/the boiler will produce motion of the diaphragm D",

which is transmitted'to valve B5, through.. A'

' val/,tve stem B7, in a `Way which will overcome 4cned or diluted by being fed into the exf uausted liquid so that a much higher temperatiire is required to separate the alcohol in its weakened state, from such dilutedliquid, than would have been required at first or before it had been so diluted, and this higher temperature results in generatinga larger percentage of steam or aqueous vapors, as well as those of fusel Oils, which are ob jectionable .and should be avoided.A Again, in allowing alcoholic vapor which has been generated to come into contact 4With liquid that is cooler than the vapor, much of such l-vapor is condensed by contact with such liquid and carried back to the diluted solution, from Which it mustv be redistilled in a L i way which entails a greater-use of heat and encumbers the still with an increased percentage of objectionable vapors which are difficult to separate from those desired.

The foregoing objections become 'apparent when it is observed that the temperature rcquired for driving alcoholic vapor from an aqueous solution varies, as, for example,

mieter B" with a solution c1190 per cent or" alcohol, its

vapor will start at about i710 Idar., in a 25 per cent. solution its vapor will start at point or" Water is reached.

bil

about 187 Far., and from one per cent. solution the alcoholic vapor ivill` start at about 21.00, and he completed before the boiling By invention the above objections are to a great ent-ent avoided, by means ci progressive increments of heat appliedto the solution as it becomes weakened in valcoholic properties, (which increments of heat resulti'rom the period of time it takes the liquid to pass through the apparatus) ,so that the alcoholic vapor vwill he generated progressively at the minimum temperature under which it can he driven from the continually Wealtening solution, and conducted from the/ s0- lution and condensed, so thatthe alcoholic vapor will not return to and be condensed bycontact with liquid which is cooler than.

culating around the chamber C", (which liquid is continually rising in temperature) until such vapor passes up into the analyzer 'F, then as the liquid tloivs around the evaporator and circulates in each of the tubes as described, the liquid. inv the'tubes' C7 ab sorbs heat both from 'the steam and vapor generated in the boiler, and whichfis above the liquid therein, as well as the heat which `is directly applied to the liquid in'the'boiler,

thus continually increasing the heatoifthe advancing lquidas the alcohol whichv it contains grovvs`less in percentage, so that vthe' vaporization ofthe alcohol talges place at the lowest practicable temperature. New, the alcoholic vapor which these increments of temperature create, will not flow backward to the cooler and succeeding liquid which would cause its condensation, because the irst vapor generated is flowing from that direction, so that it with succeeding vapor crowds 4onward over the surface of liquid which is constantly; growing hotter, until all the vapor from the liquid is forced up through the opening Q15, in plate C, and then upward through the analyzer col# umn F. lWhen the exhausted liquid 'from which most of the alcohol has been extracted during its passage through the evaporator scribed, it is therein raised to the limit of *C is discharged into thel boiler D, as def temperature to he imparted to such liquid,

whichJ increase of temperature drives substantially all of the remaining alcoholic vapor from such liquid, and with such vapor more or less aqueous and Jr'usel oil vapors' Aare or may be carried, which latter are v'mostly cfmdeused after passing through the .side pipe E4 into column E, While the alcoholic vapor continues on throughconnectin(r pipe llinto the top or" the analyzing column F. The condensates, which a: e mostly Water, and which r'orm in the con- (lensing column E, and in the analyzing column F and in column G, are disposed of as follows: the drain tube E2 leads that condensate which. forms in column E b to' evaporator C, While that. which. forms in column F returns tov evaporator C, by gravitation, and that which forms .in analyzingY vcolumn Gr returns to evaporator C through the .drain tube G2. The columns adapted fonarresting aqueous vapors and allowing the alcoholic vapors to continue tov a, final condeuser,'to be connectedwith pipe G3, (which are not necessary to be shown) are herein represented as cylinders E, F and G, iyliiclimay he ci any desired length, or increased inv number, and "joined in series as of the connecting pipe'Gr. Such columns may be formed in any Way known to the art and used for performing the condensing, analyzingvor. rectifying Work of a still. A burner H may be placed under boiler l), and this burner may be supplied with gas -L from any ermanent source through the gas pipe H, ut so that it will only supply'a limitedamount of gas, or just suiicient for operating thc still slowly, and not under any ,conditions to rush itbeyond its minimum "capacity An auxiliary fuel pipe H2 leads to the burner H from the analyzer column G or other suitable part of the still, and supplies ueleither in the form of vapor or a condensate from the still, so that the'fuel furnished through pipe H2 Will cause more or less heat to bepm-duced from the burner H, and this more or less heat will be such as Vto rush-or retard the working ot thefStill in Ways which will automatically govern its faction to thatwhich will he to its best Work- 'the' vcolumns F and G are joined by means i llO ing advantage, although 'the pipe ll? .may

be dispensed with if desired.

While lhave shown the gas burner H it Will he understood that the still mayb heated by any suitable means.

Having now described -my invention what` l claim isz- A 1. A distilling apparatus comprising .a vaporizing chamber, a receptacle communicating therewith to receive discharge lliquid therefrom, a thermal actuator in thermal relation to the discharge liquid, and means l controlled by the thermal actuator' to regu late the dow of liquid through the st1ll.

2. A distilling ,apparatus comprising al 4 charge it from chamber .having an inlet andan outlet spaced apart, tubes communicating with said chamber between :the inlet and the outlet to receive liquid from' said chamberga receptacle to receive discharge liquid from said chamber, a thermal actuator in thermal relation to liquid in said receptacle, and

means controlled by said actuator v'for regu-.-

lating. the How of fluid to said char'nber."V

3. A' distilling ap aratus comprising a chamber having an in et and amour-let, tubes spaced apart and communicating with said chamber between said inlet and out-let to receive liquid from said chamber, a casing con- 15v taining said tubes, means to apply 'a heating fluid in said casing to said tubes, and athermal actuator in thermal relation yto liquld discharged vfromaaid Chamber to control the flow. of liquid through the still.-

4. A distilling apparatus comprising a chamber, means to supply liquid to and clis- Said cha; ther', tubes communicating with said chamber to receive liquid therefrom, said chamber having a vapor outlet, a condenser communicating therewith, a

receptacle, means to discharge liquid from the chamber to said receptacle, a thermal actuator' in thermal relation tov discharge, liquid in said receptacle, and means controlled by said thermal actuator forregulating the-How of liquid through said chamber and receptacle. A

charge it from the chamber, tubes spaced apart and at their upper ends communicat- FLAl distilling apparatus "cpmp'rising ay chamber, means to ^supply liquid to and dis'v ing with said chamber to receive liquid therefrom, a receptacle below said chamber indexing said tubes and communicating with said vdischarge from said chamber, a. condenser communicating With said receptacle.

Signed-at New York, city, in the county of New York, and, State of New York, this 

